Frog Turds

I confess that I dont throw spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, wormies and I dont own a spinner reel...

My deal with it; I frayed my bicep tendons at work where i was lifting 20-40,000#'s a day and im not exaggerating...my right bicep was the worst, my dominant arm...My sports orthopedic surgeon after looking at my MRI said "do you know what a frayed rope looks like" "I said yup" and he replied "well thats what your bicep tendon looks like" I couldnt even drink coffee with my right arm and sometimes had to brush my teeth with my left because even that was a problem...dunno if you've ever tried to brush your teeth with your non dominant arm but its full on dork mode... i had been to physical therapy 3 times and those were extended at that, cortisone shots & needling at PT etc...couldnt fish for a whole season because i couldnt set the hook/fight the fish (with rod in my right arm) or reel (if i had rod in my left) without serious pain...i tried to grin and bear it but failed, was too painful...i lost fish after fish and had to hang'em up, that was 2017... 2018 i fished at a dialed back pace...i could not use lefty reels/have stick in right arm due to same above mentioned issues...im ambidextrous and certain techniques id use lefties, others righties...i had to replace the all lefties reels i had which wasnt cheap...well, i guess i didnt HAVE to but ya know I would of had 50% less than i typically bring along otherwise... feburary 2019 I ended up having the least invasive surgery on my bicep tendon called Topaz...which is not the cut and reattach deal...they make a small incision, stretch your flesh apart, expose the tendon and basically electrocute the length of the tendon/damaged area with a small micro wand...it damages the tendon on a micro level but your body's response is kicked into overdrive with focused healing...you can still use your hand/arm right after and i actually had to remind myself i had surgery because its so minimally invasive compared...i thought my right arm was more or less gonna be duct taped to my side afterwards and have to wipe with my left, that would of been a friggin disaster...i was truly amazed though how much i could use my arm afterwards, certainly wasnt expecting that... last season i was able to fish fairly normal again, slower in the beginning but got confidence back as the season wore on...and was able to use a lefty again but sparingly...for one, i didnt want to over tax my tendon that had surgery and also because my other issue i have in that same arm mentioned down below...i know my arms will never be 100% again ive accepted that but i can still fish...maybe not as hard as i used to but now i try to fish wiser and really focus on finding that prime real estate where the fat chicks hang to maximize my new dialed back pace reality... But its not over, i ended up getting bad tennis elbow at the same time as the other that im going to have the same procedure done this winter...hopefully all goes well and i'll be a couple % points up from where i am now... I'm not at all suggesting anyone run out and get that procedure...its just a fyi; that there is a very minimally invasive surgery out there called Topaz for tendonitis that most may not even know about...if all else has been exhausted and its horribly chronic like mine, it may be something to talk to an orthopedic surgeon about as a consideration...

if its glass/pretty calm, i want the silent entry...more chop, i want some splash so it gets noticed, more stained the same thing... ever throw a rock in the water and see bass & pannies haul ass over to investigate? I only put stock on being ninja quiet when gin and glass/very calm waters...otherwise i want varying degrees of splash, knock knock...

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i have some of both and heres my take...at 1st when i had both i told myself i'm never going to buy a met again...i've since reassessed that and yes i would...but with upgrading the gear set to brass micros out the gate... Bantam hands down, without question is a solid workhorse mofo and easily can be the do it all reel...underload it shines no matter what type of load it is, rock of a reel... I have a new appreciation for the Met with brass gears though...ive used the upgraded Met as 1 of my dedicated froggin reels this whole season with zero issues after blowing out the duralumin gears last year doing the same, a bantam is my other dedicated frogger... I purposely put that stock met threw that grinder of a test...my other mets werent used for heavy cover...but to get to the bottom line, the Met with brass really changed my perception, appreciation for it and the overall feel of the Met in hand/using it...i like them for throwing lighter baits, its tosses those out very effortlessly...and it fits the bill for me for what i want to use them for...only draw back, is you really have to watch bombing baits with the Met, its spools very easily, like almost too easy... for me, its two tools that, one shines a bit brighter on one side and the other shines brighter on the other...sometimes i want that bit brighter side the Met offers over the bantam...if i had only 1 choice, it would be the bantam no doubt, especially with my style of bassin... but i'm glad i dont have to settle for just 1 option...i do appreciate both in different ways and can always see having some Mets in my arsenal (with brass gears sets for me) if money isnt an option, then get both and throw the brass gear set in the Met right off...then what ive wrote will make more sense

without a doubt, you'll love the Bantam...like ive mentioned in the past you get more in a reel than the price reflects...i feel its actually underpriced for what you get...ive never felt that way about any other reel...

thats funny as hell...issue is, i dont have alot of room on my customized green banana boat...battery is in the middle, GP has to sit on bow mount TM for pics...just wait till ya see my new creation next season, gonna be the ultimate backwater beastie ?

most of us didnt start with nicer gear, its a progressive deal...like most mountain bikers didnt start with carbon fiber, golfers didnt go out and buy top of the line clubs when they started etc... ive been bassin a long time, im almost 50 now and hell, i didnt start collecting higher end gear till this last decade...its not necessary but just like a walmart mountain bike vs a higher end bike, no question one is more pleasurable to ride and performs better...higher/high end bassin gear is no different... usually most that are deep in the bassin addiction and stick with it, over time take the same progressive road...its an expensive road but one i dont have any regrets taking...atleast i have something to show for it vs wasting it in bars or dope...

pretty much the bottom line one can take away from it, is that the worm is such a natural presentation that it fools and avoids the hardwired instincts so it doesnt get written into the bass's memory hard drive...

Because worms are the one bait that bass are the least and/or don't get conditioned to, hence why everyone is throwing them in that pond...

if you're willing to spend the money, get a Met and put in the brass micro gear set from The Tackle Trap which also comes with carbontex drag washers = $48 bucks...does makes the Met a different animal...the one Met that i put that brass set in is one of my dedicated frog reels...i do a ton of froggin in the backwaters and its not easy on gear by any means...i just cleaned that particular reel again a week ago and the gears are perfect still... my other mets i havent upgraded yet but those arent used in heavy cover and the gears are fine still...but i do maintenance more often to make sure those micro duralumin gears stay properly greased...but regardless with the brass set, the Mets feel so much better...

is that a secret bait for those big girls? ??

I dont have a 765MH champ to direct compare, dont think there would be much of a considerable difference but the extra length is gonna make it softer/slower in the sierra and not broomsticky like your experiencing...i have 734 champs and Sierra 734's and i dont notice much diff to be honest, same with my champ 766 & 766 sierra...but the 765 for me has been a solid hollowbody stick, i love it...and i throw them a ton, pretty much never not have one rigged...

I've read good things about the Morethan but never used one...I have 4 Bantams, 3 Mets one of which I swapped out gear set with brass because the duralumin gears chipped out and it was a dedicated froggin reel I was testing to see how it'd hold up for what i put some gear through, well it didnt hold up for long...so far with the brass this season its been good and still one of my dedicated froggers...my other 2 Mets arent used for heavy cover anything... Bantams are way more solid hands down and meant/shine for workhorse duties...I'll never use duralumin for heavy cover again... Mets cast better with less effort but almost too easy to spool it with a frog...i can spool a bantam but takes more and I dont have to be as mindful like when i bomb a frog with a Met...bottom line, heavy cover/workhorse = Bantam as far as Shimano goes...

pending what your definition is of heavy cover, 4 power = underpowered for heavy cover...

.Just for reference, that is a 1oz King Daddy on that Lotus pad...

extreme high water is always challenging, some set up here and some set up shop there...fish can be found in all the above places but various factors come into play whether they are actually in a specific spot or not, always a reason though when they are... here i am weaving in and out of trees in what is suppose to be dry land and jig'n/floating over what is literally the forest floor...this was a couple weeks ago... not the fish in the attached photo but my big fish of the day in these trees weighed 4.14#'s

ive never used spikes myself so cant compare but felt soles grip algae covered rocks amazingly well...

i can answer my reasons i wont be to quick to buy another Metanium... and will be adding more Bantams to the several i already have...they are true workhorses with the 1 piece aluminum main body frame, brass gears etc...ive more than tested the Bantams mettle and they passed...which after putting the screws to them, all my Bantams are just as they were, perfectly fine & smooth... this is what happens when you put a Metanium through its paces with its micro duralumn drive gear, several spots on the gear where teeth are chipped, this spot in the pic is the worst spot ? ...Which this Met I've upgraded and put the brass gear set in, i'll retest this season putting it through the same as i did prior...but if it passes, still doesnt mean I'll buy another just to spend more on it with upgrading the gear set...

??

are you trying to describe filamentous algae or?

ya definitely, it moves it very well and can cover water...stand and run the TM easily also...nice treat to have that option, especially on bigger waters and/or bucking wind...In general, I wanna cover water and maximize my time bass'n not spend it paddling, just my perspective/preference...nothing negative meant towards those who'd rather paddle...if on a real small body of water, sure id just paddle...but anything that has some decent acreage, throw the TM on and get to gettin...

I have with a 55# TM on the back with and without a handle extension on the original 1st generation frontier 12...i extended the TM wires so the battery was up front to balance out more, the wires went under a removeable deck I made for it...I cut a small piece of wood that fit in that spot on the inside of the transom for the TM clamps to bite on instead of the plastic...

I actually prefer seeing largies held out in pics to get a good close up shot, I like seeing the details/markings etc...purpose isn't to make the fish look bigger and make up some bs about it...the point is to showcase the fish, which each are unique...When held too far back, cant see nothin for details, they all look pretty much the same and meh, doesnt do the fish any justice imo... I do weigh all my better fish...reasons for that are mine, when Im on the water I wanna know what my top 5 bag is first and foremost...then also if someone does ask, there's no guesstimate and/or fish story because i have the exact poundage...

NuCanoe Frontier 12 = 41" wide...like walking on a floating dock... https://www.nucanoe.com/nucanoe-frontier/